A New Recipe for Vegan Stuffed Shells

Back in January, I wrote about my own vegan stuffed shells that I've been making since college. That recipe has been pretty fail-proof and seems to get better every time I make it.

Well, I decided to switch things up a bit and actually follow someone else's recipe for vegan stuffed shells (gasp!) I saw that the recipe in Skinny B called for tofu ricotta (for which they also include a recipe) and this intrigued me. I love their tofu feta, and tofu egg salad recipes, so why not try this?

Their stuffed shells recipe, including the tofu ricotta, was very similar to my own, but I wanted to see how different it would actually taste. For instance, the Skinny B recipe doesn't call for vegan cheese shreds like I use, but only the tofu ricotta and a couple tablespoons of vegan parmesan. (See recipe below.) I didn't follow it exactly because I didn't have vegan parmesan, but this is what I did:

Tofu Ricotta

Ingredients

* 14 ounce extra firm tofu, crumbled
* 3 clove garlic, minced
* 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano

I added some fresh basil from my garden because it's extremely abundant right now and I need to use it!

1. To crumble the tofu: cut the tofu into squares and press each square between your hands over a sink to drain excess liquid. Then, crumble it into a large bowl.
2. Add the garlic, olive oil, oregano, and salt. Puree in a food processor or mix until nearly smooth with a fork.


Stuffed Shells

* 2 teaspoons sea salt
* 8 ounce jumbo pasta shells (22 to 24 shells)
* 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil or other cooking oil
* 1/2 whole onion, finely diced
* 1 package frozen chopped spinach (10 oz), thawed & drained
* 2 tablespoons grated vegan parmesan cheese
* 2 tablespoons whole wheat bread crumbs
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 2 clove garlic, minced
* 2 cups of your favorite pasta sauce

I just used two tablespoons of Daiya mozzarella shreds instead of the vegan parmesan, and I left out the bread crumbs.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a 4-6 quart pot, bring 3 quarts of water and 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt to a boil.
3. Add the shells and cook according to the package instructions (about 12 minutes).
4. While the shells are cooking, heat the coconut oil in an 8-10 inch skillet over medium heat.
5. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender (4-6 minutes).
6. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute.
7. Remove from heat. Add this mixture to the tofu ricotta mixture.
8. To the tofu ricotta, add 1/2 teaspoon salt, spinach, vegan cheese, bread crumbs, and pepper.
9. Coat the bottom of a 13×19″ pan with pasta sauce.
10. Drain the cooked pasta shells and rinse until the shells are cool enough to handle.
11. Stuff each shell with about 2 tablespoons of the tofu ricotta mixture.
12. Place each shell seam side down into the pan.
13. Cover the shells with the remaining sauce.
14. Cover the pan with foil and bake 30 minutes at 350F.

Okay, so they looked exactly the same as the ones I make, but there was a subtle difference in the taste. Not necessarily bad, but different. I actually loved them, but W said he likes my recipe better, and to never change it (ahhhhhhh!!) However, that didn't stop him from scarfing down an entire row of shells, going back for seconds, and claiming that I'd better get some while they last because he's going to eat them for lunch tomorrow too.

I give the Skinny B recipe an A, but as my husband requested, I will go back to my own cherished recipe from now on.